Breslin approaches the burial of John Fitzgerald Kennedy from the perspective of his grave digger. It's a plainly told story—no breathtaking sentences here—but the style is effective in its Hemingway-esque directness. Breslin moves from the gravedigger's perspective, to a more omniscient view of the funeral, back to the worker. We like the passage about Jackie Kennedy, its moving description of her particular, telling gestures. But the piece's central power lies in Breslin's juxtaposition of the cemetery workers, the small details of the scene's sounds and sights, with the enormity of the event.
Read “Digging JFK Grave Was His Honor,” by Jimmy Breslin
Read “Digging JFK Grave Was His Honor,” by Jimmy Breslin
